LoneSwimmer is the 2012 Best Irish sports and recreation blog

I change the banner twice a year here on LoneSwimmer, not to a strict schedule, but roughly coinciding with pool and open water season…or when I feel like it. Today seems a good day. I took the new one during Trent Grimsey’s world record English Channel Solo, dawn after steaming out of Dover harbour mouth. You may have noticed the badge on the new banner. LoneSwimmer.com is the winner of the 2012 Blog Awards Ireland, Sports and Recreation category.

I don’t know much more than that. Here’s my dilemma: What existing category do I file this under, I don’t like category proliferation. 🙂

The initial judging criteria are below. The judging was not an open vote, but a panel of “expert judges”, which is good because we all know open Internet voting is too easily rigged. I don’t know anything about the judges, nor the particulars of where LoneSwimmer did well.

Is it knowledgeable about the subject area?

Is it written in a compelling, engaging, entertaining and/or informative style?

Does it have good spelling, punctuation and grammar?

Is the content unique?

Are the photographs/images of good quality? Are they attributed to their source?

Are blog posts written consistently/updated regularly?

Does the style of writing stay constant and is it appropriate to the subject?

Are the call to actions appropriate?

Links, when appropriate, to other blogs and websites.

Interaction on the blog in the form of responding to comments and engaging in conversations.

Attractive design and ease of navigating.

Standard of the ’About Us’ and ‘Contact’ details/pages.

Other specific criteria will apply to each individual category and these details will be published on the site closer to the judging date. (This didn’t happen).

18 thoughts on “LoneSwimmer is the 2012 Best Irish sports and recreation blog”

Congratulations on your award. Well deserved. I don’t read any of the other blogs but yours is superb.
Really enjoyed the blog about swimming in the Comeraghs. Especially the short video clip.
I have read a book by Roger Deakin ‘Waterlogged’ which is his account of swimming in open water around the British Isles. It really opens your eyes to the places you can swim but never consider.
So my suggestion would be, having spent many a summer afternoon swimming in The Lenaune (small tributary to the River Suir that runs south from Slievenamon), for more hilltop lake swimming or river swim blogs.

I’m not sure how this can be put in print, but if you just try to imagine the tune from the terraces as the football hordes – who lost the blog awards – applaud your victory: “One-nil, to the LoneSwimmer, One-nil, to the LoneSwimmer….” Repeat ad nauseum.

Not unless they begin to award them for intermittent postings of swimming times or pictures of interest to half a dozen people. We are remaining resolutely small and community-based. That’s code for “we have no idea what we could post more regularly and will just continue reading loneswimmer for the real meat…”. Well done.